Shelf

ABSTRACT

A display shelf comprises a hollow box of stiff board material having one side open. The shelf is mounted by assembly over a relatively rigid supporting block having upper and lower surfaces spaced to slidably and frictionally contact the interior surfaces of opposite horizontal sides of said shelf. The supporting block is fastened to an upright wall and the assembly of the hollow box-like shelf upon the supporting block produces a shelf structure which conceals its own support. In an embodiment particularly suited for attachment to perforated walls, bolt elements having an L-shaped shank have the foot portions of their shanks entered into perforations of the wall and the supporting block for the shelf is bored to receive threaded ends of the bolt elements. Appropriate nuts are engaged to the bolt elements to secure the supporting block to the perforated wall and then the box-like shelf is slidably assembled over the supporting block.

United States Patent [191 Sacks 1 Feb. 27, 1973 SHELF [76] Inventor:Francis G. Sacks, Washington Court House, Sayette County, Ohio 221Filed: May 18,1971

21 App1.No.:144,519

[52] US. Cl ..l08/152, 211/90 [51] Int. Cl. ..A47b 5/00 [58] Field ofSearch ..108/90,108,110,111,152;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,209,919 10/1965 Hoogstoel..21 l/90 3,333,555 8/1967 Kapnek ..108/52 Primary Examiner-James C.Mitchell Att0rneyI-lenry G. Dybvig et al.

57 ABSTRACT A display shelf comprises a hollow box of stiff boardmaterial having one side open. The shelf is mounted by assembly over arelatively rigid supporting block having upper and lower surfaces spacedto slidably and frictionally contact the interior surfaces of oppositehorizontal sides of said shelf. The supporting block is fastened to anupright wall and the assembly of the hollow box-like shelf upon thesupporting block produces a shelf structure which conceals its ownsupport. In an embodiment particularly suited for attachment toperforated walls, bolt elements having an L-shaped shank have the footportions of their shanks entered into perforations of the wall and thesupporting block for the shelf is bored to receive threaded ends of thebolt elements. Appropriate nuts are engaged to the bolt elements tosecure the supporting block to the perforated wall and then the box-likeshelf is slidably assembled over the supporting block.

2 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTED 3.718.101

594N675 G. SACKS HIS IITTOEN VS 44 INVENTOR.

SHELF BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention Thisinvention relates to shelf structures and more particularly to easilymountable and de-mountable shelf structures such as used for the displayof items in retail stores and the like.

2. Description of the Prior Art Shelf structures are generally of fourbasic types. All involve a horizontal board or slab. In one type theshelf is supported at its ends as in a bookcase. In a second type theshelf is supported from above, as by hanger devices which engage theouter edge of the shelf. In a third type the shelf is supported frombelow, as by brackets mounted under the shelf. In the fourth type ofshelf, usually a masonry structure such as a mantle above a fireplace,the shelf is a stone or wooden slab such as may replace a horizontal rowof bricks in a brick wall. A shelf of this nature is neat in appearancebecause it projects outwardly from a wall and has no visible supportingstructure below, above or at the ends thereof.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In the present invention the pleasingappearance of a fireplace mantle, resulting from its lack of visiblesupport brackets is made available in simple and easy to erect displayshelf devices by constructing a shelf device in the form of a hollow boxhaving only one side open and supporting the shelf device from within bymeans of a block mounted against the wall which is to receive the shelf.The supporting block has horizontal upper and lower surfaces sized andspaced to snugly enter the box-like shelf and frictionally retain theshelf to the wall. The upper surface of the box-like shelf provides aload supporting surface and the lower surface and side walls act as aretainer means which prevents the shelf from tipping away from the wall.L-shaped fastener means for attaching the supporting block to perforatedwall structures adapt the present invention for use with commonly usedperforated wall structures.

An object of the present invention is to provide a new and improvedshelf assembly. Another object of the present invention is to provide animproved shelf assembly having a shelf member slidably attached and thusreadily demountable from a shelf support means. Other objects andadvantages will become apparent from the following description andaccompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a shelfsupport member adapted for attachment to a perforated wall in accordancewith the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary section view taken substantially along the line22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a plan view illustrating a pattern of beveling formed in alaminar material to produce a shelf device in accordance with thepresent invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a box-like shelf deviceproduced with the pattern illustrated in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating the shelf device of FIG. 4assembled to a modified support member.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 illustrates a perforatedwall 10 of the type frequently used to support merchandise displays inretail establishments. The wall material is typically a fiberboardmaterial such as sold under the trademark Masonite. Regularly spacedperforations 12 both decorate the board and provide mounting sites fordisplay fixtures.

To provide a support for a shelf in accordance with the presentinvention, a rectangular block 14, which may be wood or another suitablyunbending and generally rigid material is bored at two positions spacedapart the same distance as the perforations 12 to receive fastenerelements in the form of bolts 16 best illustrated in FIG. 2.

The bolts 16 have an L-shaped shank providing a foot portion 20extending at an angle to a leg portion 18. The leg portion 18 has itsend 22 threaded to receive a nut 24. The block 14 is easily mounted inplace by inserting foot portions 20 of two bolts in adjacentperforations 12 in the perforated wall- 10, twisting the bolts topositions at which their leg portions 18 extend generally perpendicularto the wall 10, advancing the block 14 onto the bolts 16 so that thebores within the block 14 receive The leg portions 18, then threadingnuts 24 onto the ends 22 of the bolts as appears in FIG. 2. It ispreferred that the foot portions 20 project upwardly behind the wall 10so as to derive bearing support from the unperforated portions of thewall 10. This allows the foot portions 20 to resist a tendency of theedge of the upper surface of the block 14 which is distal from the wall10 to drop downwardly under loads placed upon the block 14.

For all practical purposes, the block 14 when mounted as describedprovides a shelf which can support loads placed upon its upper surface.For many display purposes, however, the appearance of the nuts 24 at avisible part of the shelf is considered objectionable. The presentinvention, as will be later described, offers a convenient means forconcealing the hardware which is mounting the block 14 and also aconvenient means for enlarging the area of the upper surface of a shelfwithout requiring proportionately enlarged'hardware for mounting theshelf.

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate the preferred mode of forming the box-likeshelf member which is to be supported by the block 14. The startingmaterial is a board 30 of a stiff and self-supporting board materialsuch as sold under the trademark Masonite cut to the shape shown and toone side of which has been laminated a flexible but relativelynonstretchable surface layer or sheet 31. The surface layer 31 ispreferably a plastic material such as cellulose acetate and may havecoloring incorporated therein or placed thereon for purposes ofdecoration. The surface layer 31 does not appear in FIG. 3 because ithas the same shape as the board 30 and is located on the opposite faceof the board 30.

Machinery such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,322,171 has beendeveloped for grooving laminar board materials such as described inreference to the board 30 to a depth which is substantially equal to thethickness of the board 30 absent the surface layer 31. Such equipment isdesigned to bevel the sides of grooves formed thereby at precise 45angles to the plane of the board. This allows .the board to be folded atprecise ninety degree angles with the surface layer 31, beingundisturbed by the grooving operation, maintaining the continuity of theboard across the grooved portion thereof.

As shown in FIG. 3, the board 30 has been grooved so as to divide theboard into five panels numbered 32, 34, 36, 38 and 40. Certain freeedges of the panels are also beveled at 45 angles as shown at 33, 35,3'7, 39, 41 and 43. After the board 30 has been grooved as shown andcertain of its side edges beveled as shown, the board is readily foldedto form the box 44 illustrated in FIG. 4. As can be noted, the panels34, 38, and 40 function as a spacer means which supports the panels 32and 36 in a spaced apart parallel relation.

A structurally self-supporting box is produced by applying an adhesivecement to only the beveled surfaces 33, 35, 39 and 43 before or duringthe time the board 30 is folded to the box shape illustrated in FIG. 4.For maximum rigidity, however, it is preferred to apply the cement toall of the beveled surfaces of the board 30. Due to the manner in whichthe board 30 was grooved, the surface layer or sheet 31 becomes theouter surface of the box 44.

In the practice of the present invention, the box 44 is sized withrespect to the block 14 to assure that the panels 32 and 36 of the boxhave a mild forced fit against the upper and lower surfaces 13 and ofthe block 14. This mild forced fit means that when the box 44 is forcedonto the block 14 the block 14 will tend to separate the panels 32 and36 of the box. To allow this forced fit to occur without damage to thebox 44, it is preferred that the length of the box 44 between the panels38 and 40 and also the depth of the box be large in relation to theblock 14 so as to allow the panels 32 and 36 to flex and by flexingadapt to the mild oversize present in the block 14. By allowing afiexure of the panels 32 and 36 to accommodate a very slight oversize ofthe block 14, it is possible to slidably and frictionally mount the box44 to the block 14 without a requirement for extreme tolerancesregarding the degree of oversize of the block 14 and without placingundue stresses on the adhesive bonds, especially those at the comers 45and 47.

It will be noted that due to the manner in which the box 44 is formed,there is an outer rectangular margin 49 enclosing an opening to theinterior of the box. The margin 49 is made up of free margins of thepanels 32, 36, 38 and 40 and is not covered by the surface layer 31.Assuming the surface layer 31 to include decorative coloring, thecoloring will not appear on the margin 49. For the purposes of thepresent invention, however, this is unimportant. Thus, as the box 44 isforced onto the supporting block 14, the margin 49 is; moved against thewall 10 and therefore will be concealed by the wall 10.

FIG. 5 illustrates a modification of the present invention in which asupporting block 48 is adhesively mounted to a nonperforated wall 46.The strength of the structure shown in FIG. 5 will obviously be limitedto the strength of the adhesive bond that can be achieved between thesupporting block and the wall 46. However, those skilled in the art willquickly realize that this limitation may be overcome as needed bysuitable screws or other fastening elements, not shown.

While it has been described with reference to the preferred embodimentthat the supporting block 14 is mildly oversized with respect to thespace between the top and bottom panels of the box 44, those skilled inthe art will realize that warpage in the panels defining the box 44 candestroy the mild undersize designed into the box 44. In the practice ofthe present invention, this loss of a mild press fit between the box andits support member poses no problem and requires only the insertion of ashim layer such as can be achieved with a strip of adhesive tape 50 asillustrated in FIG. 5. It will be understood, of course, that theadhesive tape is not being used to adhesively attach the box to itssupport member, but rather is used only to build up the thickness of thesupport member as necessary to assure a mild forced fit between thebox-like shelf and its sup port member.

An important innovative feature of this invention is that the shelfassembly need not be a permanent assembly. Thus, the box 44, beingsecured by a mere forced fit over its support member, can be slid awaywith a substantially equal but opposite force. This allows quick changein merchandise displays and, especially with the preferred embodiment, aquick rearrangement of merchandise display sites.

Another innovative aspect of the present invention is the duo-functionaluse of the box 44 to provide both a pleasing display surface and toconceal the hardware, if any, used to mount its support means. It isthus preferred that the shelf member be a box having only one open side,this being the side which abuts against the wall which will support theshelf assembly. It is to be recognized, however, that the demountableshelf feature of the present invention can be obtained without using afully closed box such as shown at 44.

Thus, if only a demountable shelf feature is desired, only one of thepanels 32 or 36 is required together with a sufficient fraction of theremaining panels to provide a band or a belt passing down and under theblock 14 or 48, as the case may be.

Although the preferred embodiments of the device has been described, itwill be understood that within the purview of this invention variouschanges may be made in the form, details, proportion and arrangement ofparts, the combination thereof and mode of operation, which generallystated consist in a device capable of carrying out the objects setforth, as disclosed and defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim:

1. A shelf assembly comprising, in combination, a

shelf member including rectangular first and second panels havinggenerally flat and confronting surfaces, said shelf member including athird panel engaged to a first margin of each of said first and secondpanels, said shelf member including a fourth panel engaged to a secondmargin of each of said first and second panels and a fifth panel engagedto a third margin of each of said first and second panels, said third,fourth, and fifth panels cooperating to support the confronting surfacesof said first and second panels a first distance apart, a support memberslidably received between said first and second panels and havingopposite outer surfaces frictionally containing the confronting surfacesof said first and second panels, the confronting surfaces of said firstand second panels each having an area larger than first and secondpanels providing a restoring force to compressively grip said supportmember between said first and second panels, and means to affix saidsupport member to one face of a vertically disposed wall.

2. The shelf assembly of claim 1 including a one piece flexible sheetmember adhered to one face of all of said first, second, third, andfourth, and fifth panels.

1. A shelf assembly comprising, in combination, a shelf member includingrectangular first and second panels having generally flat andconfronting surfaces, said shelf member including a third panel engagedto a first margin of each of said first and second panels, said shelfmember including a fourth panel engaged to a second margin of each ofsaid first and second panels and a fifth panel engaged to a third marginof each of said first and second panels, said third, fourth, and fifthpanels cooperating to support the confronting surfaces of said first andsecond panels a first distance apart, a support member slidably receivedbetween said first and second panels and having opposite outer surfacesfrictionally containing the confronting surfaces of said first andsecond panels, the confronting surfaces of said first and second panelseach having an area larger than the area of the outer surface of saidsupport member frictionally contacted thereto whereby said first andsecond panels have outer margins of their confronting surfaces spacedfrom said support member, said first and second panels being flexible,said outer surfaces of said support member spaced apart a seconddistance greater than said first distance, said first and second panelsbeing flexed by entry of said support member between said first andsecond panels, the flexure of said first and second panels providing arestoring force to compressively grip said support member between saidfirst and second panels, and means to affix said support member to oneface of a vertically disposed wall.
 2. The shelf assembly of claim 1including a one piece flexible sheet member adhered to one face of allof said first, second, third, and fourth, and fifth panels.